Category Archives: GEORGE HARRISON

Somewhere In England (Rejected Version)(1980)
George’s Pink Slipped LP, Sequenced According To The Original Artwork

Most fans know the story behind George Harrison’s Somewhere In England. He originally submitted his 9th solo LP to Warner Brothers in 1980, only to have it handed back to him as unsatisfactory. George was pissed, and anyone familiar with the guy’s history knows him as someone who doesn’t cotton much to being artistically dictated to (just ask Paul). Still… Harrison acquiesced, but only after making a mental note to not re-sign with the label after his next (and last) contracted LP (Gone Troppo). As fate would have it, the record company interference worked to Harrison’s advantage… in a sickening way, of course. While George was preparing new tracks to bolster this rejected LP’s commerciality, John Lennon was murdered. In response, Harrison took a backing track he had originally worked up for Ringo, “All Those Years Ago,” re-wrote the lyrics as a tribute (of sorts) to Lennon and his time with The Beatles, and included it on the new (and approved) Somewhere In England. It was a sizable hit. Harrison, being Harrison, also managed to get his digs in at WB with the album’s new lead off track, a bitter indictment of the music business entitled “Blood From A Clone.” What we have here is Harrison’s originally submitted music (as has been disseminated via the web, anyway). What’s different about this post is the sequencing. Famed Beatles bootleg experts, Vigotone, have etched this underground release in stone with their 1996 issue of this material… with a different running order. But in recent years, the album’s original artwork has surfaced in the form of uncut cover slicks, showing a completely different sequencing from Vigotone’s notable release (seen HERE). We’ve replicated the Warner artwork’s running order here, with the full knowledge that there’s bound to be those that will refute the idea. So be it. Either way, it’s a fascinating listen to one of George Harrison’s career-altering experiences with a major label. As you may know, we’ve got way too much Beatles and George in the archives to list, so click HERE & HERE to peruse. Get the 2004 Somewhere in England remaster (with restored cover art) at Amazon, HERE.

Regular readers here may already know that I’m not much of a sound nut. My ears haven’t been fully functional since a 1970 front row Black Sabbath concert experience and, compounding that with hundreds of shows over the years, I’m about as far removed from an audiophile as a music lover can get. So when I notice something unusual, it’s noticeable. I recently grabbed the new George Harrison box set, The Apple Years 1968-75, and was about to upgrade our last remastered MP3 version of Wonderwall Music (HERE, in the archives), when I decided to compare the two. And… I was surprised by the differences. As you can hear above, the brand new version (first on the player) is muted, and not nearly as bright as the previously released version. Now, granted… these are lowly MP3’s, and my ears, such as they are, are probably better suited to brighter mixes. So, I’m not sure if this is something that other oldsters will notice and/or complain about, or not. Personally speaking, I’m sticking with the older version, but I’d be curious to hear anyone else’s thoughts on these representative comparisons of “Ski-ing” (from Wonderwall Music) and “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)” (from Living In The Material World), below. Is it me? Is it the cheap MP3’s? Or is it a serious miscue?

For interested fans, it should be noted that the 2014 Wonderwall Music contains three bonus tracks, two outtakes and an alternate mix of The Beatles’ “The Inner Light” (with some dialog), which was recorded by George at the Wonderwall sessions. Three reasons to get it.

FIRST POSTED IN 2011NOTE: These are NOT the new 2014 re-issues that inexplicably used 2009 remastered files instead of the original, very different, Capitol master tapes we all remembered. These are the 2004 & 2006 box sets that were “compiled from the original U.S. master tapes.” The Brits must think we’re daft for dragging these mangled, reverb-laden old Capitol Records releases back from oblivion and into the digital age. For youngsters not acquainted with the peculiarities of Beatlemania in America, Capitol Records took George Martin’s original tapes and doused them in reverb, then chopped the British albums into smaller, differing LP configurations, all to squeeze a few extra albums, and a lot more sales, out of a fad that was practically guaranteed to expire before the last lunch box or bubblegum card could roll off the assembly line. That’s how the The Beatles’ UK debut morphed into their 5th LP in the States, how The Beatles’ Second Album ended up being almost a ‘covers’ album, and how Capitol was able to squeeze out five Beatles albums in 1965 alone, Beatles ’65 (actually issued in December ’64), The Early Beatles, Beatles VI, Help! and Rubber Soul. For disciples, there are oddities to be found buried in these digital grooves; the false start on “I’m Looking Through You,” the original score music from Help! (first time on CD) and – it should probably be mentioned to those that think about these things – the mono on these first issue discs are “folded down,” a combination of two stereo tracks into one. For all their faults, Capitol did do one thing right for the new millennium crowd… they fit both stereo and mono versions on the same disc. A Hard Day’s Night is not included in the first Capitol box, as it was originally issued on United Artists Records – though Something New closely approximates it. So… why is it we Yanks seem to be clinging to these clearly inferior versions, oh-so-many decades later? Well, truth is… we’re not. Capitol was merely filling a minor marketing void with these re-issues, so except for those rabid collectors that just must have it all, there’s really only one reason all this stuff could hold any interest for the average Joe… memories. Those misty, water-colored memories of the way we were. Personally, I like the nifty cover reproductions. Of course, we’ve got dozens of Beatles-related posts hiding in the archives… just click HERE. You can still get the 2004 & 2006 Capitol boxes at Amazon, HERE & HERE. File Under: The Beatles – Pop Rock, Vocal Group.

I Want To Hold Your Hand
I Saw Her Standing There
This Boy
It Won’t Be Long
All I’ve Got To Do
All My Loving
Don’t Bother Me
Little Child
Till There Was You
Hold Me Tight
I Wanna Be Your Man
Not A Second Time

Roll Over Beethoven
Thank You Girl
You Really Got A Hold On Me
Devil In Her Heart
Money
You Can’t Do That
Long Tall Sally
I Call Your Name
Please Mr.Postman
I’ll Get You
She Loves You

I’ll Cry Instead
Things We Said Today
Any Time At All
When I Get Home
Slow Down
Matchbox
Tell Me Why
And I Love Her
I’m Happy Just to Dance With You
If I Fell
Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand

No Reply
I’m A Loser
Baby’s In Black
Rock And Roll Music
I’ll Follow The Sun
Mr. Moonlight
Honey Don’t
I’ll Be Back
She’s A Woman
I Feel Fine
Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby

Love Me Do
Twist And Shout
Anna (Go To Him)
Chains
Boys
Ask Me Why
Please Please Me
PS I Love You
Baby It’s You
A Taste Of Honey
Do You Want To Know A Secret

Kansas City
Eight Days A Week
You Like Me Too Much
Bad Boy
I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party
Words Of Love
What You’re Doing
Yes It Is
Dizzy Miss Lizzie
Tell Me What You See
Every Little Thing

Help!
The Night Before
From Me To You Fantasy (Instrumental)
You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
I Need You
In The Tyrol (Instrumental)
Another Girl
Another Hard Day’s Night (Instrumental)
Ticket To Ride
The Bitter End / You Can’t Do That (Instrumental)
You’re Gonna Lose That Girl
The Chase (Instrumental)

I’ve Just Seen A Face
Norwegian Wood
You Won’t See Me
Think For Yourself
The Word
Michelle
It’s Only Love
Girl
I’m Looking Through You
In My Life
Wait
Run For Your Life

The Beatles’ amazing productivity during their first few years at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios is legendary, as they effortlessly cranked out a dizzying amount of high-quality recordings that would single-handedly reshape the 1960s. Equally as legendary, are the official recordings The Beatles nailed in just one take. Deadlines necessitated professionalism, but The Beatles were, at times, able to rise above and beyond even that, by offering up flawless studio performances drawn from their club repertoire – delivering what faithful audiences in Hamburg and Liverpool had known about all along. “Twist And Shout” might be the best-known one-take track in the band’s catalog. Taped after a 12-hour recording day, a fact reflected in the coarseness of John Lennon’s searing vocals. McCartney could work fast, too, as evidenced by his club-honed first take of Little Richard’s “Long Tall Sally,” a performance so good, the band (with Rockin’ George Martin on piano) didn’t even bother attempting it a second time. Hell… Ringo’s take-one “Boys” was the first time he’d ever sang lead in the studio. So, fuck Pete Best! It should probably be noted that most of these songs were recorded more than once, but in each instance, it was the first take that captured what The Beatles were after, and the takes that were officially released. By 1965, however, technological advancements, over-dubbing and studio experimentation made these kind of one-take wonders (nearly) a thing of the past. Since this Record Store Day EP doesn’t actually exist, it also wasn’t released in both mono and stereo… but here they are, regardless (from 2009 source material). Here’s what The Beatles did with just 15 minutes of their fame… and 22 seconds to spare.

Side ATwist And Shout (2:35) - Recorded February 11, 1963
Kansas City (2:38) - Recorded October 18, 1964
Boys (2:26) - Recorded February 11, 1963

Side BLong Tall Sally (2:03) - Recorded March 1, 1964
Rock And Roll Music (2:31) - Recorded October 18, 1964
Chains (2:25) - Recorded February 11, 1963

A Hard Day’s Night(1964)50 Years Later, An Argument For It Being Their Best!

Beatles fanatics are all familiar with the ‘Best Album’ debate. It’s a way to pontificate about the Fab Four, while simultaneously showing your pals what a know-it-all you are. Throughout the years, most of us have often re-assessed our opinions of The Beatles’ “best,” partly because at least four or five of them are pretty hard to argue against. Post 1967, the pick for many was Sgt. Pepper’s for its magical and timely cultural impact. Later, many found themselves drawn to The Beatles (White Album) for its double LP depth and jarring individuality. Personally, I’m not one who ever seriously considered Abbey Road, though, I understand its appeal with mainstream fans. Serious students have historically lingered around Rubber Soul for its sophisticated acoustic prowess, before switching to Revolver, for its druggy innovations and re-stylization of the entire pop format. Some might even choose Magical Mystery Tour, despite its patchwork, non-LP status. Naturally, I’ve settled on nearly all of those myself at one time or another. You probably have, too.

But, after decades of study, debate, discussion, hand-wringing and good old fashion repeated listening, I’ve finally come to realize that when I think of The Beatles, I think first of A Hard Day’s Night – the band’s first LP to fully shed their 50s influences, creating a music that was trulyinnovative and truly their own. It’s nearly impossible to trace A Hard Day’s Night‘s lineage. It sounds like The Beatles, and nothing that came before them. Credit its sheer exuberance and vitality… and the compositions, all by Lennon & McCartney for the first time. AHDN is littered with milestones – including the daring introduction of acoustic guitars into a successful beat group formula/fad that was already pre-figured to fail within six months. Still, it all seemed so easy… so effortless. Sheer talent captured on tape. The band never again made an overall album that was this joyous, this uplifting… and that atmosphere is still tangible 50 years later. Like many of the greatest albums ever made, A Hard Day’s Night has a consistent stylistic feel from start to finish. Its self-confidence is pure allure. It was an obvious peak, even in its day, though, no one ever imagined it would be only one of many.

It’s because of all the groundbreaking music that followed A Hard Day’s Night that the album is routinely overlooked as their best (or, qualified as the best of their “early LPs“). The album’s irresistible innocence is still ill-defined as pop candy when compared to The Beatles’ “important” cultural contributions, like “Tomorrow Never Knows,” “I Am The Walrus” or “A Day In The Life.” Yet… it’s A Hard Day’s Nightthat still rings true with a genuine spirit of discovery that greats like Revolver or Abbey Road could never match. Sgt. Pepper’s or Magical Mystery Tour might come close as creative adventures, but then… that’s why it’s always been impossible to decide. Is it The Beatles’ best album? It’s preposterous to suggest, of course. But, since you can hear it all below (in MONO), this might be a good reason to give A Hard Day’s Night another 30 minutes of your time. Just in case.

Excellent 45 minute live show capturing the great Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, featuring George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Derek’s future Dominos – as broadcast on Danish television in 1969. Taped just days after the recording of Delaney & Bonnie & Friends – On Tour with Eric Clapton. Clapton sings lead on “I Don’t Know Why.” Line up includes; Delaney & Bonnie, Eric, George, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon, Bobby Whitlock, Billy Preston, Jim Price, Bobby Keys, Rita Coolidge & Tex Johnson. A great show, which also provides us the opportunity to point you to all the Delaney & Bonnie in the archives; Accept No Substitute (1969) and D&B Together (1972), (both HERE), On Tour With Eric Clapton (4CD Deluxe Box, HERE), Live At A&R Recording Studios, July 22, 1971, with Duane & Gregg Allman (HERE) and Bonnie Bramlett’s, Piece Of My Heart – 1969-1978 (HERE).

Poor Elijah
I Don’t Know Why
Where There’s A Will, There’s A Way
My Baby Specializes
I Don’t Want To Discuss It
That’s What My Man Is For
Comin’ Home
Encore: Tutti Frutti/The Girl Can’t Help It/Long Tall Sally/Jenny Jenny

BONUS CLIP: A live appearance on the BBC’s The Price Of Fame, featuring Delaney & Bonnie with Eric Clapton, Dave Mason & Bobby Whitlock, performing a fantastic acoustic version of “Poor Elijah.”

Actually, I thought this was already posted here… years ago. Oh, well. On May 27, 1970, a month after Paul McCartney announced he was leaving The Beatles, George Harrison recorded these demos for his first “real” solo album, All Things Must Pass. Why these tapes are legendary is two-fold. First, the sound is excellent. Just George and a guitar (with occasional bass) playing his new songs for Phil Spector. Second, just its very nature… unplugged. As great as All Things Must Pass is, even its staunchest supporters confess that Phil Spector’s co-production is criminally overbearing. Hey… it’s his trademark. Of course, not everything here is brilliant. Some of these songs are only bare ideas and half would never even be officially recorded. But, some of this session sounds so good that two of these tracks were bonus additions to the 2001 All Things Must Pass reissue. There’s also compositional evidence of George’s recent work with Bob Dylan. For those baffled by the title, ABKCO refers to the company owned by Allen Klein, The Beatles’ manager for a brief time (and the straw that broke the camel’s back when Paul balked at retaining him). By 1970, however, George had finally seen the light, too, as he dismissively name drops ABKCO in “Beware of Darkness.” This is yet another bootleg that’s openly sold at Amazon (HERE), marking another industry turnaround in online bootleg acceptance and availability. There’s more George in the archives, including Wonderwall Music (HERE) and George Harrison WAS The Beatles – all of George’s official Beatles tunes on one CD, HERE.

Run Of The MillArt of Dying
Everybody, Nobody
Wah-Wah
Window, Window
Beautiful Girl
Beware of Darkness
Let It Down
Tell Me What Happened To You
Hear Me Lord
Nowhere To Go (Dylan/Harrison)
Cosmic Empire
Mother Divine
I Don’t Wanna Do It (Dylan)
If Not For You (Dylan)

We normally traffic in freebie discs from MOJO Magazine (find them allHERE), but this bonus disc comes from the October, 2005 issue of Uncut Magazine – a collection of excerpts from Beatles press conferences, circa 1964-1966. There are some serious moments – John discussing his “Christianity remark” – as well as lighthearted stuff, including the guys responding to rumors about the band breaking up. You also get to hear their future press secretary, Derek Taylor, interviewing an hysterically irreverent Lennon on the set of Help! It’s all good fun for those pining for a blast from the past. The two 30-second tracks below should garner a chuckle. We’ve got plenty more Beatles, HERE. You can even find a hard copy at Amazon pretty cheap, HERE.

Abbey Road Medley (Isolated Vocals)(16:11)
Isolated vocals are nothing new, and this one’s even been floating around for years now, but it’s still a fun oddity. The Beatles’ Abbey Road Medley, featuring “You Never Give Me Your Money,” “The Sun King,” “Mean Mr. Mustard,” “Polythene Pam,” “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window,” “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” “The End” (and “Her Majesty”) all stripped down to the vocal tracks. It’s all quite well done, crisp and studio clear, enough that you can hear the varying effects McCartney uses for his vocals. There are some patches of silence, of course, and the piano creeps in on Lennon’s “Mean Mr. Mustard” and McCartney’s “Golden Slumbers,” but overall the opportunity to view the Beatles from yet another angle is always a treat. 16 minutes, hear it all below.

Singer/songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist Bobby Whitlock was at the nexus of the fruitful creative union of Delaney And Bonnie & Friends and Eric Clapton’s Derek & The Dominoes. After putting in years as a session player for Stax Records (as well as being the first honky signed to the label), Whitlock was possibly the most influential member of both bands, fusing his Stax experience with Delaney & Bonnie’s southern gospel rock before being pinched by Derek for his blues-based Dominoes – where Whitlock’s personal style was nearly as dominate as Clapton’s. His first solo album was this self-titled release from 1972, and fans of both D&B and D&TD should appreciate the common ground. You can clearly hear the Stax DNA in Whitlock’s horn-heavy “Back In My Life Again,” while this LP’s rootsy, gospel-based balladeering reflects his upbringing as the son of preacher man. Andy Johns produces. Admittedly, Bobby Whitlock‘s success rate is scattershot. I had this LP back in the day, but largely forgot about it over the years, typically opting for his work within the more dynamic LPs of his mates. But, I enjoy revisiting the previous century’s music sometimes just to see what’s changed more… me or the music. Many of the pals Whitlock supported over the years show up to support him, including Clapton, D&B and George Harrison (BW’s work went uncredited on All Things Must Pass). This is a serviceable vinyl rip, but Bobby Whitlock (along with his follow-up, Raw Velvet, from 1972), will finally get refurbished and re-released on CD June 25th, as Where There’s A Will There’s A Way. Pre-order at Amazon, HERE. Find some D&B (HERE) and EC (HERE) in the archives.

Where There’s A Will There’s A Way (3:42)
Song For Paula (4:14)
A Game Called Life (4:12)
Country Life (3:06)
A Day Without Jesus (3:22)Back In My Life Again (3:27)The Scenery Has Slowly Changed (3:49)
I’d Rather Live The Straight Life (2:27)
The Dreams Of A Hobo (3:20)
Back Home In England (2:47)

BONUS:A Rock ‘n’ Roll Autobiography: Bobby Whitlock(2010)

Here’s a pdf of Whitlock’s 2010 autobiography. Haven’t read it yet myself, but am looking forward to it. You can get it at Amazon, where there are tons of 5-star reviews, HERE.

Far afield from the droning, psychedelic, incense-burning improv one tends to associate with Ravi Shankar, “NIGHTMARE Dispute & Violence,” begins as a familiar call & response Indian raga before suddenly erupting into a prog-style romp, a la King Crimson. Side two of Ravi Shankar’sShankar Family & Friends is to Indian music what Astor Piazzolla is to Tango – unrestricted by convention and progressive beyond the music’s genre. The side long suite retains the culture’s dreamy, mystical allure, but Shankar’s compositional approach is a triumph and a testament to his career-long battle with classical Indian purists. Side one is the more conventional, vocally oriented Indian fare, opening with “I Am Missing You,” a track noticeably produced by George Harrison and released as a single in conjunction with the duo’s 1974 tour of America. It’s a horrible, Spector-ish, wall of sound attempt at “commercial” Hindi music… which I still skip to this day. Those interested should seek out Ravi’s In Celebration – Highlights, for his own delicate and far superior version. That said, side two’s provocative and inventive Dream/Nightmare/Dawn suite should be a valued addition to any collection.This is a remastered rip from the 2010 multi-disc set, Collaborations, which contains Shankar Family & Friends, at a much nicer price. Or… try a wormhole, HERE.

The latest free CD issue from the July, 2012 edition of MOJO Magazine is a tribute to the re-release of the Yellow SubmarineDVD and song soundtrack. There are some interesting covers here, especially some of George Harrison’s lost wonders, “It’s All Too Much,” “Only A Northern Song” and “Love You To.” I like Jim White’s “All Together Now,” but only because I already liked his bizarre style. The Cornshed Sisters, who recorded a vocally robust Beach Boys bonus cover for last month’s MOJO, tackle “Nowhere Man” here. Check out the twisted cover of George‘s psych rock epic, “It’s All Too Much,” below.

Back To Basics – Studio Sessions: Rubber Soul(2011)Volume Six… And Some Bonus Instrumentals

More gathered Beatles sessions and rarities. Like the initial volumes in this series, Please Please Me Studio Sessions, With The Beatles Studio Sessions, A Hard Day’s Night Studio Sessions, Beatles For Sale Studio Sessions & Help Studio Sessions (in the archives), this new collection fleshes out the Rubber Soul sessions. Lots of different mixes, from many sources. The instrumental bonus versions come from Rock Band and are the cleanest vocal-free versions yet. We’ll post subsequent volumes as they surface.

DISC 3
We Can Work It Out (Take 1) (stereo-mono) (2:01)
We Can Work It Out (RM1 from Take 2 – Single Track Vocal) (mono) (2:17)
We Can Work It Out (Take 2 – With Overdubs) (stereo) (2:27)
We Can Work It Out (RM1 from Take 2) TMOLAM (mono) (2:19)
We Can Work It Out (RS1 from Take 2) 1962-66 Vinyl (stereo) (2:16)
We Can Work It Out (RS from Take 2 V1) Japanese EP (fake stereo) (2:14)
We Can Work It Out (RS from Take 2 V2) Anthology DVD (stereo) (2:14)
Day Tripper (Take 1) (stereo) (2:09)
Day Tripper (Take 2) (stereo) (1:05)
Day Tripper (Take 3) (stereo) (3:07)
Day Tripper (Take 3 – Monitor Mix with Cleaner Guitar Solo) (mono) (2:52)
Day Tripper (RM1 from Take 3) TMOLM (mono) (2:56)
Day Tripper (RS1 from Take 3) 1962-66 Vinyl (stereo) (2:54)
Day Tripper (RS from Take 3) Anthology DVD (stereo) (2:48)
Day Tripper (Rockband Mix) (stereo) (2:56)
12-Bar Original (Pre-Take 1 – Jam) (stereo) (1:55)
12-Bar Original (Take 1) (stereo) (0:33)
12-Bar Original (Take 2) (stereo) (6:50)
12-Bar Original (RM1 from Take 2) (mono) (6:46)
12-Bar Original (Edit of Take 2) Anthology CD (stereo) (2:54)

The fanatics over at Remaster’s Workshop took an old Yellow Dog bootleg and cleaned up the sound for this fine companion to the official 2CD set, Live At The BBC. 59 unreleased tracks in all, some the Beatles never officially recorded. Of course, there are bigger, multi-disc sets out there if you just have to have every second. But, this should suffice for most of us not already satisfied by the official release. I especially like Lennon’s numerous Chuck Berry covers. Listen to “Carol,” covered by the Stones (before) 1969.

1
From Us To You (0:32)
The Hippy Hippy Shake (1:51)
Memphis, Tennessee (2:09)
Too Much Monkey Business (2:06)
Do You Want To Know A Secret (1:48)
Crying, Waiting, Hoping (2:13)
Don’t Ever Change (1:58)
To Know Her Is To Love Her (2:50)Carol (2:38)
Soldier Of Love (2:02)
Lend Me Your Comb (1:50)
Clarabella (2:40)
A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues (2:20)
The Honeymoon Song (1:43)
Nothin’ Shakin’ (But The Leaves On The Trees) (2:57)
So How Come (No One Loves Me) (1:44)
I Got A Woman (2:33)
Roll Over Beethoven (2:18)
Till There Was You (2:15)
I Wanna Be Your Man (2:11)
Can’t Buy Me Love (2:09)
This Boy (2:18)
Long Tall Sally (2:00)
And I Love Her (2:21)
A Hard Day’s Night (2:40)
She’s A Woman (3:10)
I Feel Fine (2:04)
Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby (2:26)
Dizzy Miss Lizzy (2:45)
Ticket To Ride (2:58)
2
Too Much Monkey Business (2:07)
Thank You Girl (2:02)
From Me To You (1:57)
I’ll Be On My Way (2:00)
I Saw Here Standing There (2:37)
Long Tall Sally (1:46)
Some Other Guy (2:04)
Boys (2:29)
Memphis, Tennessee (2:08)
I’ll Get You (2:05)
She Loves You (2:18)
Lucille (1:54)
I Got To Find My Baby (1:59)
Money (That’s What I Want) (2:40)
Young Blood (2:00)
Baby It’s You (2:44)
Sure To Fall (In Love With You) (2:10)
Anna (Go To Him) (3:03)
Lonesome Tears In My Eyes (2:39)
I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You) (2:05)
Matchbox (1:59)
Please Mr. Postman (2:18)
I Got A Woman (2:50)
Chains (2:23)
Glad All Over (1:54)
Honey Don’t (2:15)
You Really Got A Hold On Me (2:57)
Lucille (2:31)
Twist And Shout (2:32)

Just surfaced… more gathered Beatles sessions and rarities. Like the first three volumes in this series, Please Please Me Studio Sessions, With The Beatles Studio Sessions and A Hard Day’s Night Studio Sessions (find them all HERE), these two new collections flesh out some of the Beatles’ early recording sessions, offering telling editorial changes with each successive take. Check out the progression of “I’m A Loser” (Takes 1-8), below. The song had already been worked out in detail prior to Takes 1 & 2, but by Take 3, John & Paul have already changed the song’s introduction, adding that great slow vocal beginning we all now know (check out how rich and detailed those voices get with each take). You can hear McCartney wrestling with his essential high background vocals throughout Take 3, but he’s nailed them by the next full version, leaving Lennon to sing the “not what I appear to be” chorus solo, echoing the new intro and etching the arrangement in stone for future takes. In Take 6, Lennon’s Dylan-ripped harmonica wails, but by Take 8 he’s ready to wrap it up and go. John & Paul’s moments together are The Beatles’ most meaningful, and hearing McCartney work out his miracle harmonies within Lennon’s loose blueprint is like witnessing a master class. For those interested in the step-by-step creation of some of rock’s most indelible material, here are the schematics. We’ll post subsequent volumes as they surface.

Credit Martin Scorsese with the recent rash of interest in George Harrison. The famed film director’s biography of George (airing on HBO in October) has sparked numerous magazine covers, along with this gathering from MOJO to celebrate GH’s song catalog. Cool, in that the track selection includes material from his Beatles and solo years… and even a song title I didn’t initially recognize, “Your Love Is Forever” from 1979’s George Harrison (the uplifting year that Harrison remarried and had his only child). As usual with most MOJO tribute comps there are a lot of new names alongside the vets (Richie Havens, Graham Nash, Ron Sexsmith and the great Iain Matthews, who delivers a just-like-George version of the under-appreciated “So Sad”). I was totally charmed by The Webb Sisters’ outstanding version of “I Need You” (listen below) but was totally bummed more wasn’t done with Harrison’s underrated wonder, “Long Long Long.” Too many artists here also took Harrison’s reverbed union with Phil Spector a little too much to heart. But, that’s the way it goes in the hit-and-miss world of various artist tribute comps. Find all 115 MOJO‘s in the archives.

The beauty of these original session tapes (available for many years in different incarnations, but meshed here with obscure mixes) is the opportunity to hear The Beatles playing live in the studio, unconsciously making up all new rules for the music industry, and all while the tapes were rolling. That they had such a fresh approach – both inventively and commercially – for virtually all their sessions is an accomplishment that still mystifies students of the arts to this day. This kinetic, spontaneous live sound is a joy, and it makes you wonder why you’d ever wanna listen to those official albums again (especially those old American LPs… some of which are included here to remind you). There are, of course, non-essential tracks that weigh down the flow – crappy monitor mixes are the worst offenders – but the live stuff is worth the fat. The old collector in me perversely appreciates the mixture of original studio tapes and eventually lost mixes (from LP sources like Reel Musicall the way up to Rock Band). It’s a smart organizational trick, too, maintaining a consistent listening experience across decades of versions and releases. Historically speaking, these are the days, aren’t they? How great is it to be able to immediately access the nervousness in George Harrison’s voice as he records his first, solo composition (“Don’t Bother Me”)? Listen to the ease with which the band is able to count off, and nail, a middle eight whenever George Martin wants an edit piece. It just confirms that these guys were already club-worn pros when they walked through Abbey Road’s doors, and they sound it. Their adaptability is amazing. Listen for the years of pent-up club versions in McCartney’s first vocal take of “I Saw Her Standing There,” one of the few in the series where Lennon gets his ‘when’s, ‘and’s & ‘since’s straight. In another session, Lennon laments that things aren’t written down, illustrating his ongoing lyrical issues – from the first sessions all the way to the rooftop concert where Yoko can be seen holding lyrics for him. There are four discs of A Hard Day’s Night variations, for you gotta-have-it-all types, while the multi-take evolution of McCartney’s powerhouse vocals for the title track’s bridge are worthy of University study. Hear first takes of “I Saw Her Standing There” & “A Hard Day’s Night,” below.

Who would have guessed that a lonely sitar sitting on the set of The Beatles’ second movie, Help, would lead to George Harrison’s soul-meld with Indian culture and its music? In 1965, he was still writing love songs like “I Need You” for his beat combo, but Harrison began incorporating the sitar into The Beatles’ rapidly expanding instrumental arsenal almost immediately. And he didn’t stop there. George’s first solo album, Wonderwall Music, was half Indian music. Then, after the Hare Krishna’s camped out at Apple Records, George took members of the Radha Krsna Temple into the recording studio for these late 60s recordings. I’ve never been a fan of Harrison’s brave “westernization” of Indian music – adding backbeats and western song structure – but, fortunately, he limits those intrusions to the opening track, “Govinda” (as he also did on the opening track of Ravi’s Shankar Family & Friends, HERE). The music, including two bonus tracks, is ripe with the mystery and intrigue that inspired the quiet Beatle in the first place, though, who would have thought that the “Hare Krsna Mantra” was a dead ringer for Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land?” Or… vice versa? Amazon has it, HERE.

George Harrison Was The BeatlesAll George’s Beatles Songs In 74mWhen CD burners first hit the shelves, my very first project was this… pulling all of George Harrison’s compositions as a Beatle together onto one disc. I’m a big fan of his psychedelic years (1966 to 1968, “Love You To” to “The Inner Light”) but there are plenty of stellar Harrison moments to enjoy – from his simple, 1961 introduction, “Cry For A Shadow” (a co-write with Lennon), to his full-blown commercial awakening in 1969 (“Something,” “Here Comes The Sun”). Instead of release dates, the sequencing is loosely based on when Harrison first took these songs into the studio, so you can witness George’s progression from year to year. This way, The Beatles’ stripped-down White Album material appears after the raging psychedelia of Yellow Submarine, the way nature intended it. “Only A Northern Song” was actually George’s initial psych contribution to Sgt. Pepper’s, while “Long, Long, Long” just might be The Beatles’ single most underrated song. “I Me Mine” wound up being the band’s last official recording session – as John vacationed, George, Paul & Ringo recorded the tune to finish off the lingering Let It Be album in January, 1970. The Beatles would split up only months later. Upgraded 2009/320 source material.

The first solo album by a Beatle, George Harrison’s soundtrack to the film Wonderwall was recorded during the peak psychedelic years of 1967/68. Now that we listeners are long past the initial “disappointment” of Wonderwall Music not containing any mop top pop (and we’ve all been duly schooled about the world full of music outside the confines of Top 40 radio), George Harrison’s bold creation can be fully appreciated for what it was, and still is today – a unique, experimental and totally original fusion (albeit, side by side) of Indian culture and 60s psych. The December, 1967 sessions recorded in Bombay feature some of India’s finest musicians (and also yielded The Beatles’ b-side, “The Inner Light”), while the January, 1968 UK sessions* include Harrison (listed only as producer/arranger/writer), Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr and even uncredited Monkee, Peter Tork. The best thing about WonderwallMusic then, is the best thing about Wonderwall Music now – it still sounds unexpected and still goes great with a joint. These days, you can find Wonderwall on vinyl (HERE), CD (HERE), DVD (HERE) and a Rhino Handmade box set, without any actual music, (HERE) at Amazon.

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